About FCHD

The Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development (FCHD) is a diverse collection of scholars with content expertise in each of the areas noted in the name. The Family faculty focus on family interactions in a variety of contexts including Marriage and Family Therapy. Consumer Science faculty have expertise in housing and family financial counseling. Our Human Development faculty study humans across the entire lifespan. This interdisciplinary approach to the study of human interactions provides excellent training at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of education.

Extension & Outreach

Graduate Learning Objectives

Core Content

An understanding of individuals, families, and their relationships to larger social institutions

An understanding of the decisions individuals and families make about developing and allocating resources

An understanding of social, economic, and governmental policies and their implications for individuals and families

An understanding of the internal dynamics of the family, including family strengths and weaknesses

An understanding of demographic changes and poverty issues in America

An understanding of ethical and professional practice within the family setting

An understanding of how to support and empower individuals and families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships

An understanding of the needs of individuals and families of various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds

The ability to apply the ethical decision making process in working with families

The ability to communicate effectively in written form including the understanding and correct use of APA style

The ability to engage in informed advocacy for individuals, families, and the profession

The ability to engage in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice

The ability to develop a resume and a network of career contacts

The development of oral presentation skills, interpersonal skills, and team work

The ability to create programming for individuals and families from diverse populations that is sensitive to their individual cultural contexts

Theory

The ability to think critically and integrate theory with practice

The ability to critique and evaluate theories of human development, family relations, and consumer sciences/family economics

An understanding of the basic underlying assumptions of the various theories relating to the student's area of specialization

An understanding of the major theories and concepts of individual and family economic behavior and the ability to apply them

An understanding of the theory construction and testing processes

An understanding of the link between theory and research

Research Methods

A thorough understanding of the research process in the social and behavioral sciences including the special issues and problems of studying children and families

The ability to evaluate research proposed or conducted by others

The ability to formulate research questions and design a research project

How to protect the rights of human subjects

How to use appropriate quantitative or qualitative research methods

How to prepare a scholarly report (journal article, thesis, dissertation)

The ability to use appropriate observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches for individuals, families and communities

Consumer Sciences Specialization

A thorough understanding of the research process in the social and behavioral sciences including the special issues and problems of studying children and families

The ability to evaluate research proposed or conducted by others

The ability to formulate research questions and design a research project

How to protect the rights of human subjects

How to use appropriate quantitative or qualitative research methods

How to prepare a scholarly report (journal article, thesis, dissertation)

The ability to use appropriate observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches for individuals, families and communities

The ability to analyze cutting edge research and see its implications for interpretation of extant research and development of contemporary research

The ability to juxtapose theory, research, and practice with regard to development of best practices models of program delivery

The ability to take the current research and deliver it in understandable ways to lay audiences while maintaining the integrity of the research

An understanding of the principles and importance of building collaborations and partnerships in communities and the work place

An understanding that education is a lifelong process

An understanding of families as they function as producing and consuming units within a broader economic system

An understanding of how changes in the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population affect its economic status

An understanding of selected government policies and programs affecting family economic well being

Understand and analyze the economic behavior of the individuals and households including consumption and saving; time allocation; market work, household production and leisure activities; economics of marriage and divorce; and the economic impacts of children

An understanding of the relationships among socioeconomic factors, health, and financial well-being of individuals and families from young adulthood through later life

Infancy and Early Childhood Specialization

An understanding of how the interaction between parenting behaviors and child characteristics influence child outcomes

The ability to recognize and use interpersonal and child guidance techniques and skills in home and professional settings

The ability to review, integrate, and conceptualize theory and research in such a way as to create a unified picture of developmentally appropriate practice and quality care for young children

A broad understanding of the orientation to children and early childhood education in the United States and in other countries

An understanding of a variety of early childhood programs and approaches as a means of understanding best practices in caring for and educating young children

An understanding of early childhood assessment instruments and research methodologies and ability to evaluate their appropriateness for various research questions and designs

Adolescence and Youth Specialization

Students will understand the role of gender, ethnicity, and culture relative to adolescent development

Students will understand the role of context relative to adolescent development

An understanding of how the interaction between parenting behaviors and child characteristics influence child outcomes

The ability to recognize and use interpersonal and child guidance techniques and skills in home and professional settings

Adult Development and Aging Specialization

Understand economic behavior within the family in relation to the retirement and aging

Gain a broad understanding of selected government polices and programs relevant to the aging population

Integrate research in such a way as to create a picture of appropriate practice and quality care for elderly

Family Relations Specialization

An understanding of the processes of marital formation, marriage and family interaction, parenthood, the interface of marriage and family with other social structures, family crises, and alternative family forms

An understanding of the current state of scholarship in family theory and research

An understanding of and ability to access the various sources of family research data and information

The ability to discuss and integrate current research results in selected areas

The ability to prepare and present a professional quality research review paper on a specific family topic

MFT Specialization

The objectives of the Utah State University Marriage and Family Therapy Program include:

Providing interested persons with an available program for learning the profession of marriage and family therapy from qualified faculty in such a way as to qualify for Clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in the state of Utah

Providing the citizens of Utah with professionals who have been trained specifically for the practice of marriage and family therapy as defined by the state of Utah, the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (Standards 10.2)

To teach students the major concepts and models of marriage and family therapy as a practice and as a profession

To introduce students to the foundational thinking and philosophies upon which family systems thinking and therapy are built; to help students become conversant in areas of epistemology, both early and new, including understanding of one’s own epistemology and worldview; to apply these ideas to a variety of family therapy models of family therapy

Demonstrate the use of theory in case formulation

Demonstrate the ability to formulate a methodological procedure for the purpose of validating the effectiveness of the major theoretical frameworks in MFT

Become familiar with several different types of assessments, and how to effectively use those assessments to diagnose dysfunctional behaviors

Training beginning students in effective clinical skills through observation, role-play, and non-clinical family interviews

Training students in how to develop a treatment plan with the client and how to effectively move through the therapy process

Facilitate students’ growth in clinical knowledge and expertise through advanced practicum placements and through the supervision process in interaction with the instructor and other students in practicum supervision